Who is your Aaron and Hur?

Now firstly let me just be clear that I do not think that I resemble Moses, well maybe a young, fit, and adventurous Moses!

Aaron and Hur, if you remember the passage, supported Moses in the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). God had told Moses that, as long as his hands were raised, the Israelites would win the battle, but after hours passed, his arms grew tired and began to droop.

When that happened the Amalekites began to win the battle. Aaron and Hur responded by coming alongside Moses lifting and supporting his weakening arms.

All of us grow tired in ‘the fight’. Our arms droop, our energy fades, we grow tired. So who are the Aarons and Hurt in your life who come alongside you and support you in these ‘dry’ moments of wilderness experience?

It is not the battle that defines us, it is the way we respond to the battle. However, it is important to note that no battle is ever won by fighting alone. Moses had Aaron and Hur, but he also had Jethro (Exodus 8:1-27 especially vs.27). David had Nathan (2Samuel 12:1-14). Joshua had Moses (Numbers 27:15-23). Timothy had Paul (1Timothy 1:2). Naomi had Ruth (Ruth 1:16-22), and Ruth had Naomi (Ruth 3:1-5). There are no spiritual ‘Rambos’ in the Christian walk, we all need someone to support, encourage, and inspire us onward and upward as we in turn support, encourage, and inspire others!

Life is a journey. Some of us are further ahead. Some of us are further back. This means that all of us need to be reaching forward to learn and grow from those before us. We also need to be reaching back to encourage and inspire those behind us.

So, let me ask you again, “Who is the Aaron and Hur in your life?”. However, I also need to ask you, “Who are you an Aaron or Hur to?”

We need to be encouraged and motivated forward by those in front of us, but we also need to be encouraging and speaking into those behind us. As Paul instructed Timothy in 2Timothy 2:2, “…the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others,” creating a culture of discipleship and mentorship!

To close let me share this personal story. In 2015, after 8 years of ministry in a church, I was given opportunity to take a sabbatical. I asked a man I respected greatly, Dan Nicholson, to mentor me in this time. We would meet weekly and discuss life and ministry. His wisdom and insight was so valuable! At one point Dan asked me, “As a pastor you have the back of many people, but who has Evans’ back?”. Dan was not asking who supports Evans and sympathizes with him or pats him on the back and makes him feel good. He was asking if there were people who speak honestly and bluntly into my life, who encourage the good and godly aspects, and who confront the bad and sinful.

I appreciated those words of encouragement so much. I have since invited mentors into my life to be Aarons and Hurs, and I have in turn sought to mentor others, to be an Aaron or Hur where needed. But what about you? Who are your Aaron and Hur? Who speaks into your life? Who confronts sin and speaks wisdom? Who are you mentoring? Who are you encouraging and inspiring to greater things?